GO Transit: Construction Projects (Metrolinx, various)

[drum118]

Union Pearson express uses the track between union and highway 427 and the north track might be closed off at Weston for construction

Tracks 2, 3 and 4 are in operation and have been since day one for Weston station. Track 1 is not completed and will not be completed until the new east platform is finish at Weston station.. Tracks at both ends in place other than the station.

With the construction on going for the Mount Dennis Station, 2 tracks not in service for the new station, but a 3rd one as temporary one is in place.

Track 1 has yet to be built south of the Toronto West Diamond to Bathurst St or where it will become track 3 south of Dundas. Track 1 north/west of the Humber River is missing until the tacks are built in the tunnel under 401/409 as well building the new Woodbine Station. North/west of 427, all 4 tracks in place up to Bramalea.

Track 1 and 2 will be for the Barrie Line with 7 & 8 for the Milton Line south of Dundas

 

[Haydenpoon]

Stouffville Line double tracking update, 6 September 2021.

Bonus photos of Milliken Station from the Steeles Avenue underpass:

Looking southeast toward the two passages to the platforms
View attachment 346992

Looking down the passage to the southbound platform:
View attachment 346993

Looking down the passage to the northbound platform:
View attachment 346994

Looking north across Steeles, note the pillar for the east side pedestrian bridge.
View attachment 346995

They installed the wrong sign here: this should be a crosswalk sign. Pedestrians will cross the bike path here to get to the bus platform which will be located where the eastbound curb lane currently is:
View attachment 346996

What are the speed limits of the Stouffville Line?

 

[smallspy]

I’m also surprised how the clearances don’t allow a third track at Agincourt.

- Paul

There was simply no clearance to be had.

The old T&N corridor is shockingly narrow, but that stems from its origin - as a narrow-gauge, lightly built railway link to a major(-ish) city. It was never really intended as a major link other than from the towns far afield into Toronto.

And unlike the old TG&B, there was no incentive to add property and widen the corridor. The TG&B ended up being an important route down to the 'States, and so its original corridor was widened several times. The T&N, later Midland? It only went to the hinterland of Central Ontario.

Dan

 

[ShonTron]

There was simply no clearance to be had.

The old T&N corridor is shockingly narrow, but that stems from its origin - as a narrow-gauge, lightly built railway link to a major(-ish) city. It was never really intended as a major link other than from the towns far afield into Toronto.

And unlike the old TG&B, there was no incentive to add property and widen the corridor. The TG&B ended up being an important route down to the 'States, and so its original corridor was widened several times. The T&N, later Midland? It only went to the hinterland of Central Ontario.

Dan

Yes, later became part of the Midland Railway of Canada. That's where Midland Avenue gets its name from.

 

[smallspy]

What are the speed limits of the Stouffville Line?

The last set of charts I have are from the middle of 2019, but they show zone speeds of 40mph south of Agincourt Station and 50mph north of it. There are also a number of lower speed sections due to curvature north of Unionville.

Dan

 

[crs1026]

There was simply no clearance to be had.

The old T&N corridor is shockingly narrow, but that stems from its origin - as a narrow-gauge, lightly built railway link to a major(-ish) city. It was never really intended as a major link other than from the towns far afield into Toronto.

And unlike the old TG&B, there was no incentive to add property and widen the corridor. The TG&B ended up being an important route down to the 'States, and so its original corridor was widened several times. The T&N, later Midland? It only went to the hinterland of Central Ontario.

Dan

Yeah, the history never anticipated the route reaching such grandeur….. but by pure sidewalk inspection there are places where the new sound walls appear to have been installed leaving room for a third track, and other places where that seems impossible. I wonder if any of that is by design, or if it’s just the result of sticking to legacy lot lines. It seems awfully hodge podge.

- Paul

 

[reaperexpress]

The last set of charts I have are from the middle of 2019, but they show zone speeds of 40mph south of Agincourt Station and 50mph north of it. There are also a number of lower speed sections due to curvature north of Unionville.

Dan

This prompted me to double-check my math and unfortunately I did find an error. Let that be a lesson about doing mental arithmetic at 1AM and not checking one's work... It took 35 seconds (not 25) to get 748 m from Huntingwood to Finch, which is an average speed of 21.4 m/s, or 76.9 km/h (47.8 mph). Not 108 km/h. It did feel like we were going approximately the speed limit given the amount of lateral G force through the S-bend at Finch which felt similar to other trains travelling track speed (very noticeable but not uncomfortable), so I don't think the zone speed will be increased above 50 mph.

The train was travelling very slowly south of Agincourt, and it felt like we could have gone faster through the S-bend at Lawrence East. I really hope they are taking the opportunity to increase the track speed along that segment. And if they don't, they should at least do so when the SRT ROW is decomissioned and the curvature through Lawrence East can be smoothed out (all while reserving space for a 3rd and possibly 4th track south of Ellesmere).

^Really nice video, gives a good view of what’s happening and what isn’t.

Hard to understand why they are dawdling with the track construction sout of Ellesmere.

More troubling is the lack of progress on those creek bridges.

I’m also surprised how the clearances don’t allow a third track at Agincourt.

To be fair, the tracks do look nearly complete between the switch north of Kennedy and the crossover south of CP / Highland Creek. The main remaining outstanding items are getting the second track through the crossing at Progress (which takes a couple days, based on observing the Barrie line double tracking in 2017), finishing the two tracks where there is currently a temporary track shift, and finishing up the ballast. None of those items are particularly challenging, so I'm guessing they're aiming to have a 5.1 km (3.2 mile) segment of double track in service between Kennedy and Highland Creek within the relatively near future.

The remaining 6.1 km (3.9 mile) gap to the crossover north of Milliken does include the two stations which will take a bit longer to double track. So as long as the work at Highland Creek is completed before those two stations, then there's no harm in the relatively slow progress there.

 

[TFC]

Guelphtoday.com has an article on their website speaking to work completed on the Macdonell Street rail bridge in Guelph this weekend, along with photos: https://www.guelphtoday.com/local-n...-street-rail-bridge-replaced-8-photos-4324394

 

[ShonTron]

The 2,059-space Bramalea parking garage and new station building open tomorrow:

Metrolinx Press Room

Find the latest Metrolinx news, project updates and more.

blog.metrolinx.com

There is still a lot of work to do, including demolishing the c. 1990 station building (which has become too small for the traffic that goes through there, especially with the bus ridership growth), completing the bus terminal (the fourth permanent bus facility on that property!) and rebuilding the surface lots and PPUDO driveway.

 

[crs1026]

Guelphtoday.com has an article on their website speaking to work completed on the Macdonell Street rail bridge in Guelph this weekend, along with photos: https://www.guelphtoday.com/local-n...-street-rail-bridge-replaced-8-photos-4324394

More detail from GHRA

- Paul

 

[W. K. Lis]

What power microscope do I need to locate the "covered bike parking" or "bike rack"?

Definitely not The Netherlands.

 

[kamira51]

What power microscope do I need to locate the "covered bike parking" or "bike rack"?

Definitely not The Netherlands.

Heh, you think people would dare ride a bike in that part of Brampton? that's suicide.

 

[W. K. Lis]

The 2,059-space Bramalea parking garage and new station building open tomorrow:

Metrolinx Press Room

Find the latest Metrolinx news, project updates and more.

blog.metrolinx.com

There is still a lot of work to do, including demolishing the c. 1990 station building (which has become too small for the traffic that goes through there, especially with the bus ridership growth), completing the bus terminal (the fourth permanent bus facility on that property!) and rebuilding the surface lots and PPUDO driveway.

Heh, you think people would dare ride a bike in that part of Brampton? that's suicide.

What IS the closest hospital to the Bramalea GO Station?

 

[kamira51]

What IS the closest hospital to the Bramalea GO Station?

It would have to be Brampton Civic, and that's a good 20 minute drive.

 

[W. K. Lis]

It would have to be Brampton Civic, and that's a good 20 minute drive.

By bike with a flat tire and broken arm. To save money on the ambulance co-payment fee of $45.

Would be worse, if the hospital was less than a kilometre away from the GO station. $220, or $240 today. See link.